Governor Delays Next Scheduled Execution

The controversial way in which a murderer was executed has sparked heavy scrutiny from groups around the country. Now Governor Kasich has delayed the next scheduled execution.

Convicted murderer Gregory Lott was slated for lethal injection on March 19, but the governor has moved that execution date to November 19.

The state’s death penalty protocols have been under a microscope after the execution of Dennis McGuire made headlines around the country. News outlets reported that McGuire, who raped and murdered a pregnant woman in 1989, appeared to be distressed and gasping for air during his lethal injection.

Since then several groups have called for a moratorium on the death penalty in Ohio until the state’s lethal drug policies could be reviewed further.

McGuire was the first inmate to be executed under Ohio’s new, lethal two-drug combination. It’s been reported that Lott’s attorneys have filed a lawsuit to delay his execution, citing the possible complications with the new drug protocol.

Kasich’s spokesperson Rob Nichols says Lott has committed a heinous crime for which he will be executed. He goes on to say that Lott’s date is being moved to November 19 as the state finishes its review of McGuire’s execution. No word on what this might mean for the state’s next scheduled execution of Arthur Tyler on May 28th.